Protolabs (PRLB)
NYSEIndustrialsManufacturing - MiscellaneousSnapshot 2026-09-14
$78.22-4.59%
Close 2026-09-14 · 1-day change
NYSEIndustrialsManufacturing - MiscellaneousSnapshot 2026-09-14
Research Workspace
Put PRLB beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisRevenue growth is accelerating — up about 10% over the past year.
View GrowthManagement screens strong on the balance sheet, market reaction to earnings.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 57% growth a year, above the roughly 9% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 1% on a typical day and fell roughly 20% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskProto Labs (PRLB) is positioned to benefit from strong revenue growth driven by US reshoring. Revenue grew 10.6% year over year, and the last quarter beat expectations. PRLB trades at 45× P/E versus a peer median of 25×, indicating the market is pricing in more growth than we forecast. The risk lies in the potential for guidance cuts, with a 29% probability of missing next-quarter estimates. Peer multiples imply a price about 62% below where it trades. Our read remains intact.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-14. PRLB is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 5 analysts currently covering PRLB (as of Sep 2026).
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
Continue this research
Compare PRLB with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRLB Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 10 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-14. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put PRLB next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
US reshoring aligns with revenue growth acceleration.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-09-14. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Drive operational efficiency
New COO likely to enhance operational efficiency.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Raising revenue guidance supports growth objectives.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Upgrade indicates confidence in revenue growth momentum.
Advances: Increase revenue growth
Lifting guidance indicates strong revenue growth potential.
Advances: Increase revenue growth
Positive revenue growth outlook supports investment thesis.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Earnings call insights enhance growth acceleration narrative.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Earnings beat indicates strong revenue growth momentum.
